Illinois has a ton of concealed carry restrictions, and our 2A activists are not gonna take it:
SPRINGFIELD – Gun owners from throughout the state plan to descend on Springfield Wednesday to push for more permissive gun rules in Illinois.
Gun activists will march down Capitol Avenue to the Statehouse and urge lawmakers to cut down the list of places where firearms are prohibited under the state’s new concealed-carry rules.
State Rep. Brandon Phelps, the Harrisburg Democrat who served as the primary architect of the new regulations, said that he, too, would like to see the rules cut back over time.
“I think there are far too many places where concealed carry is restricted,” he said.
Phelps said that after the law spends some time on the books, he hopes Illinoisans become more supportive of expanded concealed carry rights.
“Once people see that this isn’t the Wild West, people will feel a bit more comfortable,” he said. “The people who are getting concealed carry licenses are law-abiding, good people who go through many background checks.”
In the meantime, Phelps said there are enough protections in the law that no one should feel the need to carry a weapon into an establishment where it’s restricted.
For instance, Illinoisans can legally stow their firearms in a parked car as long as the weapon is locked away and out of sight.
“God forbid I ever have to take my daughter to the emergency room,” Phelps said. “But if I do and I have a gun by my side, I can leave it in the parking lot. I can go right back out, lock it in my car and leave it outside.
“You’ve got to give that person a place where they can leave their firearm safe and secure.”
Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office which oversees security at the Capitol, said he doesn’t expect any accidental breaches occurring at the Statehouse.
“The law exempts government buildings from concealed carry, so people can’t carry guns in the building even with a permit,” he said. “It’s certainly something to think about, but we’ve posted signs and we’re in the process of putting up more.
“We do have the security guards at the desks, and magnetometers would pick up the guns that way.”
Phelps said it’s one of the reasons he doesn’t expect to see many permit holders illegally carrying in restricted areas.
“I don’t think there’s gonna be a lot of people bringing guns illegally,” he said. “Will there be a few mistakes? Sure, there might be a few. I’m not gonna say that everybody’s perfect. But I’m not scared of these people. They’re good and honest.”
Source: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/gun-activists-challenge-restrictions/article_12ddfa58-d590-5c21-a58e-a4d06029e175.html
